


A Confidant Among Traitors & Thieves

by ProfessorShades



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Base P5, Dialogue Heavy, Drama, Established Relationship, F/M, Fun, Gen, Mental Health Discussions, Mystery, No Royal or Strikers Spoilers, Side-Character Relationships, Will Tag More Characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29955492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProfessorShades/pseuds/ProfessorShades
Summary: Secrets... Confidants... Dreams of late. Am I the problem or am I in danger?Months have passed since the Phantom Thieves of heart were last heard. Its members now enjoying the new life they earned. This includes their former leader, the man once called Joker. Akira Kurusu now in his third year at Shujin enjoys every day of his new life. He has friends, a new family, a girlfriend working hard in college, but most of all a future. That is until sudden nightmares appear to taunt him. Worst of all, new drama makes him believe they're right. As he contemplates his mentality a sudden wave of incidents start to occur. People get hurt and without a logical answer, he fears the worse. That the Phantom Thieves biggest secret, the metaverse has returned. Now being abused by an unknown enemy.To make matters worse, his investigation leads to unsavory questions he fears the answer to. Who else could possibly know about the metaverse? Did an old enemy he thought dead now return? Is there an even worse threat on the horizon? These questions linger but the worst one sits in his mind with guilt. The question being, could one his Phantom Thieves be behind this?
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist, Sakamoto Ryuji/Takamaki Ann
Kudos: 10





	1. Spoils of War

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and thanks for checking my story out. Its been years since I wrote anything but have decided to revamp my passion with this story. 
> 
> Quick notes. I have not played Persona 5 Royal and only half way through Strikers. So this story is based on the story and characters of the base game. Sorry Kasumi fans, you seems lovely. Also no Sophie either.  
> If you spot any grammar mistakes please make fun of me in the comments so I don't mess up again. If not, then still feel free to comment and tell me what you think. I look forward to writing this story and again thanks for checking it out.

The dreams are constant but manageable. Unlike the dream of last night, I had dreams that held me like an inmate. A constant reminder that I was a prisoner of fate to which there was no control or prevention. However, prisoner of fate turned out to be a lie that took me months to realize. It turns out with enough persistence and stubbornness you could just shoot your godlike warden of fate and save yourself along with the world.

But I believe anyone who reads this already knows that story. The new story begins with my dreams of late. It has been half a year since those old dreams haunted me but in the last month, a new annoyance has appeared. It happens in different scenarios, but the outcome is the same. Last night I was running down a street, the night before was in a long alley, another was in the halls of Shujin, but I am always running. Every time the dream starts the brave leader I used to be is gone. All I feel is a prismatic form of emotions such as dread, guilt, betrayal, and doom.

I call these dreams manageable because unlike before, I do have control. Sometimes the bravery returns, and I stop running. Ready to confront my pursuer, I chose to face the threat that is chasing me but every time I fail. The dark figure I turn to wins each time and every dream the mere sight of this figure is enough to destroy any ounce of bravery inside my soul. I can’t even look at the creature without shielding myself, its energy giving off too much for me to handle. Soon I am overwhelmed and consumed by this nightmare.

Every dream I have the freedom to choose, the freedom to fight. I wish I could write this and say every night I face it but that would be a lie. Most nights I run and don’t stop until it catches me. It always catches up and then I wake up right when it has me. I decided to spend most nights running, bringing this feeling that the unnamed entity is mocking me. Trying to make me feel like a coward. I want to tell myself it’s wrong and they are just dreams, but I would be a liar if I said it didn’t bother me. Instead of saving my bravery in the dream, I decided to save it for when I’m awake. Accepting my fate most days, including last night. I chose to run last night.

The alarm rings and I wake up back in my room in LeBlanc. I stretch as the early sun warms my face. While rubbing my eyes I hear the yawning of Morgana, looking over to see himself pawing his eyes to wake up. He sees me looking at him and gives a polite smile.

“How’d you sleep Joker?”

I just give him a half smile which causes his own to leave. He gets up on all fours, “I know you’re tired of this question but-.”

“Nothing was different.” I calmly told Morgana. “And last night I ran. I feel a bit guilty about it too.”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” He tries to reassure me. I get up from bed and start to dress. Morgana knows I appreciate his concern but there isn’t much to add to the conversation. He remains quiet as I put on my glasses and look at him.

“I just wanted to be a bit braver today. Since I was seeing Makoto later.” I tell him honestly. The feeling of being coward sits in the morning but usually leaves before I leave LeBlanc every day. I of course never show the feeling in my face and the cat’s keen sense can always tell there is something wrong.

Morgana shakes his little head, “Bravery shouldn’t be an issue for you though. You need to keep reminding yourself how cool you really are.” I nod at his comment, with a small chuckle as well. I walk around the room gathering my things but while he keeps rambling. “Who knows what these dreams could mean. The velvet room or the metaverse has not been accessible for a long time. I just can’t understand what this warning could be.”

“It could also not be related.” I add. He stops and look at me and I just give him a smile. His words of bravery mean more than he probably knows. I don’t express it openly even though I should, but I continue and say, “We did go through a lot last year. Maybe this is something more personal.” A tap my temple and finish. “Mental health is important, and I probably just need to talk to someone professional.”

Morgana takes a deep breath. He’s trying his best while keeping a distance. I appreciate that but also sense the guilt coming from him, upset that his knowledge may not be enough to help me. He looks up, “You went through so much last year. You never complain and it’s so annoying how you walk around like nothing bothers you.” I shrug and smirk. He continues, “Seriously! You’re so calm and collective and cool and-.”

“Unbelievably handsome?” I interrupt him while opening my bag to let him in. This makes him annoyed and it’s cute.

“You’re super cocky too!” Morgana objects but still gets in the bag.

I collect everything including the plus one, make sure my plant is fed and my room is clean. Once I am ready, I stop quickly at the stairs before heading down. I reassure Morgana calmly, “I’m fine buddy but lets still not tell anyone about this yet, ok?” Morgana nods his head. He is persistent but understands that I do not want to worry the others just yet. He also knows about another secret I will soon be spilling to the group. Taking a deep breath, I say, “I just don’t want to bring up weird dreams when I tell everyone about Makoto and I.”

This makes him laugh and that reassures me. It means we can move on for the day but also makes another dilemma sit in my stomach. Makoto and I have been dating for almost half a year and we are going on a date later today. Her being in college means we do not spend much time as we used to. But we keep up, both on Phantom Thieves chat and our private one. I will not write those discussions in word because a certain prosecutor may find this evidence. No one knows about us besides ourselves and Morgana. We plan on telling everyone tomorrow when we have the Phantom Thieves reunion. These reunions happen every once or twice a month. The whole group gets back together so we can reconnect regularly and watch each other grow. They’re good friends and I couldn’t be prouder of them. Which means I also know that when we drop the news we’ve been dating behind their backs, its sure to be memorable.

I head downstairs to what I expect Sojiro cooking breakfast. Instead, I hear humming and recognize the tune as the intro to some anime intro that Futaba showed me. Looking down I find her there in the kitchen, robe over her school uniform and cooking carelessly. Walking toward the bar she soon senses someone is staring at her.

She quickly turns around excitedly and speaks. “Oh good, You’re up! I got up super early for this” She runs to the counter and points down. “Sit!” 

I do as the chef commands and take a seat. Futaba quickly returns to the kitchen. I can’t help but giggle to myself as I put Morgana in the next chair. He looks at me curiously and I just shrug. After a couple minutes I look up from my phone and see Futaba returning with plates. She sets down a plate in front of me with what looks like scrabbled eggs. Looking up from the eggs, she makes an exaggerated pose and says, “TAAADAA!” victoriously.

I look at the plate then back to her curiously. “Cooking breakfast now?”

“Yep! I looked up a few tutorials online last night and asked Sojiro to let me.”

I poke the eggs with my fork, “You looked up few tutorials just for scrambled eggs?”

That comment ignites rambling from her, “Well there was also pancakes but don’t ask about them. They uh… didn’t make it. God bless them.”

I decide not to push the pancake topic. I look at the simple plate of food but still feel a sense of pride. I make sure she knows this while also curiously asking, “Well thank you. This is really sweet Futaba but also a little random. What’s the occasion?”

“NO! I just…” She slants back. “I just want to learn more life stuff you know. I don’t want to JUST be the tech genius.” I sit there and watch her, knowing she’s going to continue. “Ok and everyone here is a really good cook so I feel a little left out. Can you please just eat the eggs. I put my soul into those babies.” She pushes it closer to me.

The sudden inspiration to try something new doesn’t surprise me. Futaba started her first year at Shujin with Me, Ann, and Ryuji as third years. Over the past few months, she has gotten better with crowds and social interactions. Although she still describes rollcall as if life and death were on the line. Despite all this I’m very proud of her. She’s growing as a person and I remind myself constantly to keep watching her so I don’t miss a minute, so of course I would eat these eggs for her.

I look down and take a chunk of egg in my fork. As I bring it up I can see her staring at me anxiously. I look back at the eggs and think to myself. They are only normal scrambled eggs, surely the only thing I could worry about is maybe too much salt. I put the egg in my mouth and chew. They taste like…oh…oh my.

I chew for a few seconds then swallow. I blink twice too and investigate the after taste. I put my fork down and say, “Can I ask you something about these eggs?”

“Sure.”

“Why don’t they taste like eggs?” I ask in amazement.

She suddenly becomes shy. “Heh well scrambled eggs sounded really basic, so I decided to take some liberties.”

“With scrambled eggs?”

She pouts furiously and it’s really adorable, “You think they’re awful. Don’t you?!”

“Futaba.” I say softly. I look up with a compassionate smile and then say, “Yeah they’re awful.”

“Ugh you are such a jerk!” She proclaims as I get up and put an apron over my uniform. I go over to the kitchen and let her watch me cook. She crosses her arms but still watches carefully. It doesn’t take me more than a couple minutes before I have three scrambled egg plates on the counter. I decide to leave out pancakes for time and to also not rub it in.

She sits down and starts eating. I clean up and look over to her, deciding quickly to give some wisdom. “When you want to pick up a new skill make sure you start basic. Many people get eager and want to rush it. They want to master the skill quickly, but you will end up only hurting yourself. Doing something simple is good because its guarantees not getting the alternative, which is failure.”

Futaba stops eating to look up. She slants her head to the side giving me a comedically annoyed look. “You’re rubbing it in bro. Hiding it behind your pep talk.” she says.

“No, I’m actually doing both.” I say laughing. She mocks me as I sit next to her. “It still was nice Futaba, really thanks. The meal is whatever, it’s the thought that counts.”

“Thought doesn’t matter! If this was a T.V show, some British guy would be yelling at me right now. Futaba your cooking is so rubbish! Stick to hacking into military databanks nerd!” Her rambling is cut off when Sojiro enters the café. He walks over to one of the plates and grabs a small bit of eggs with his fingers.

He tries the eggs, “Decent.” He says looking up at the ceiling.

“I didn’t make it though.” Futaba proclaims.

“Oh, I know. Knew that soon as I tasted it.”

“DAD!” Futaba squeals causing Sojiro to laugh. He keeps snickering to himself like the proudest man in the world while Futaba gives it to him. As I eat my eggs, I watch them and can’t help the smile that forms around my face.

When I returned from home to LeBlanc for my third year, I noticed she started calling Sojiro, dad. That made me glad because I know it means so much to Boss. Watching the two bicker constantly is wonderful, they deserve every bit of happiness.

While enjoying the moment I briefly remember Morgana’s words this morning. The dreams are hard, and my journey brought enough stress to make my hair gray. Mona wonders how I can wake up and act like nothing is wrong. The answer to the question is in front of me. All the past castles, all the delinquent talk and all these dreams don’t mean anything when every day I wake up to this. A family filled with love, several friends I could ring up at any time and a bright future ahead. A future stolen when it seemed impossible, a miraculous second chance at life. Having all of this, how could I not wake up every day the happiest man alive?

As I write this new entry in my life, I am reminded how much I miss this feeling now.


	2. No Hand Left

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira's day at Shujin brings a sudden reality check. The events make him wonder about the weight of his recent dreams. Soon he realizes that he cannot take his time to ponder these feelings, as circumstances make this apparent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long chapter but one I'm proud of. I hope those who read it enjoy and get an idea of the story I'd like to tell. Thanks again for stopping by.

Shujin’s bell rings which signals the students that lunch break has begun. I pack up my things and Morgana instinctually makes room. As I finish getting ready to leave, I see Ryuji start to make his way towards me. We ended up in the same homeroom for third year, Ann sadly was assigned a different class. It would have been nice to have all three of us in one class I think to myself, at least we see each other every weekday on the roof though. In the end, nothing really changed from last year besides Futaba now joining us.

We have the roof to ourselves again like we used to at the beginning of second year. Makoto banned us before she entered our group last year but changed her mind before graduation. Makoto then gave us spare keys that mysteriously vanished from storage. I’m not sure if that means we’re bad influences or she no longer cared about the school when she left. However, it seems dating the school council president does have its perks.

Ryuji walks up to me looking bummed, “Hey I left my lunch on the train over. I’m gonna go pick something up then head up.”

“That sucks. You want me to spot you?” I ask him. Willing to pay.

“Nah.” He quickly says. He pulls out a bit of cash and gives me a smirk. “Mr. Iwai is treating mr today.” He puts it back in his pocket, looking pleased about his new job. Ryuji started working at the Untouchable Airsoft last month. Getting the job turned out easy. e only needed one good reference. We joke around a bit then I head upstairs to the roof.

I enter the roof and see Ann sitting down, looking at her phone. She looks up and gives me a quick wave and a smile before looking back down. I walk up and sit next to her. She scoots over and shows what’s on her phone.

“Check it out. I asked Yusuke for a commission.” I look down at the phone to see a picture of a painted canvas in what I recognize as Yusuke’s personal art room. On the canvas is a beautiful illustration of Carmen, Ann’s old persona. A sense of nostalgia falls on me and I stare. Having not seen the Persona in a long time.

Beautifully made from Yusuke’s skill and the old memories makes me just give a small, “Wow…”.

Ann picks up quickly on my attitude. She explains, “Its been awhile and I got scared that one day I’ll forget what she looks like. Even so when I asked Yusuke for the painting, I was worried about details he may forget.” She then pulls the phone away, looking down again and admiring the image with a smile. “That boy really is talented.”

Damn right I think to myself. Takamaki’s words also make me think quickly of the other Personas now gone. Something comes to my mind and I tell her, “I haven’t thought about it but it’s a good idea. Maybe I should talk to him about something similar.”

“You’re going to ask him to paint ALL of your Personas?” She asked giving a worried look for Yusuke’s health.

“No! I won’t give him the idea either because who knows what he’ll do with it. I do think having something to commemorate those days would be nice.”

Ann seems to agree but adds in a hush voice, “Actually, I think he might already have something like that in mind. Don’t tell him I told you though.”

“Why do you say that?” I ask.

“Yusuke is a perfectionist. He’s a sucker for the detail.” Ann adds. “But this piece he did very quickly.”

I think for a moment then understand what she is implying. “You think he traced over something he already made?” I say to her.

“Precisely.” Ann confirms. Seeming rather proud of her deduction.

I think about Yusuke’s potential piece. Could it be all our Personas together? Hopefully with only Arsene representing myself. I also think where would we put it up, possibly in LeBlanc? My fantasy is interrupted when Ann looks around me and asks me, “Ryuji didn’t come with you?”

Morgana now chimes in, “No, the scatter brain left his on the train so he’s grabbing a bite downstairs.”

“Bummer…does he need money?” Ann asks.

“Nope, Iwai is paying him good apparently.” I respond.

“Oooooh. He’s rich now huh?” She says in mockingly amazed voice. A sudden suspicious look falls on her face. “Maybe I should I ask him to treat me to dinner.”

“Huh?!” Morgana exclaims.

“I’m just kidding.” She reassures him.

I however, say nothing but give her a sideways glance. She notices the look and suddenly her expression changes. Ann immediately picks up a hostile feeling towards me, as if I am teasing her about something. She isn’t wrong to assume this either.

“What?” She says defensively.

“Nothing,” I say knowing it will annoy her. I was right.

“What?!” She says more clearly.

“I’m not saying anything.” I respond. Morgana gives an annoyed huff and begins eating out his bowl.

Ann leans in closer, “Did he say something about me? You better tell me Akira!”

“You can just ask him. I’m not spilling any beans.” I say not looking at her.

Ann playfully punches me and I lean away from my seat with a smug smile. She says, “Don’t pretend you know something you jerk.”

She stops hitting me and Morgana pipes in, “He can’t help himself.”

Ann gives a huff of agreement. She looks over to me and then suddenly her face goes from playful to slight concern. “Shouldn’t Futaba be here already?”

That brings me to full attention and my tone changes, “Yeah, she should.”

I know she didn’t forget her lunch like Ryuji. I decide to text her. Asking where she is. A couple minutes pass and there is no response. I get worried and decide to text Ryuji.

I ask: “ **Have you seen Futaba down there?** ”

Ryuji responds: “ **Nah I haven’t seen her. Something up???** ”

I text back: “ **She’s not here yet. I’m going find her.** ”

I tell Ann of my plan to go downstairs to look for her.

“I’ll come with.” She says getting up.

“No, it’s ok.” I say putting my hand up. “You and Morgana stay here in case she comes up. It’s probably nothing, I’ll just look around her homeroom.”

Ann looks as if she wants to disagree but can’t argue with the sound plan, so she nods. I head downstairs all the way to the first floor where the first years have their homerooms. I look inside her class and only see a few students sitting around, no sign of her anywhere. I tell myself to remain calm, panicking now could be premature. The worst case could be she got nervous and ran to the bathroom. Although she would still have her phone with her. 

As I look around, I see Mishima passing by. I grab his arm gently to get his attention. “Hey, you seen Futaba?” I ask him.

He thinks for quick moment but quickly answers. “Yeah, she was heading down the hall. If I guess, I think she wanted to grab something from those new vending machines near the gym. If so, she probably would’ve passed around the main yard too.”

I thank him and head out towards the gym. I remember seeing the machines he mentioned before so I make my way there. Looking around I see groups of people chatting, some faces I recognize but no Futaba. Her orange hair usually helps me pick her out of a crowd, but it doesn’t surprise me to find out she isn’t sitting with any of these groups. Futaba hadn’t made new friends at Shujin. I know she wants to but lacks the social ability with strangers.

While thinking to myself I quickly catch a glimpse of orange in my sight. I focus and I see her, sitting down on a bench. She’s not alone though, standing and surrounding her are three different male students. One in the middle has what looks like an orange drink bottle, showing it around to his buddies. I quickly walk over.

As I walk up, the student in the middle starts talking. He is a bit taller than me but no real distinctive qualities besides that. I walk close enough and hear what he is saying. “It’s the same color as her hair! You think she’s looking for attention.” The man says referring to the drink in his hand.

Futaba is looking down. Avoiding eye contact, giving an almost whisper. “Can I please just have it back. I want to go eat with-.”

The tall student interrupts her, “Sakura relax, we just wanna be friends. We always see you sneaking around, so I know you need some desperately.” There is a sudden surge of energy that enters my body. This man’s words quickly make me angry. I can feel my eyes focus suddenly, and my fingers start to twitch. Futaba is still sitting down, not looking or saying anything.

Before I can act the man says, “At least make eye contact when someone’s talking to you, freak!”  
Futaba does look up, her eyes look around then grow when she sees me standing behind them. The bullies notice her expression and turn around. Seeing me there they suddenly relax, probably expecting for a moment a teacher. Before I act, I take a deep breath. I compose myself and walk up. The one in the middle turns around while the others watch. We stare at each other for a moment before I respond.

“Excuse me.” I say as I walk around him to Futaba. She looks scared, unsure about what is going to happen. I gently put my hand over her shoulder and make her stand. “Come on, let’s go.”

“I’m sorry.” She says quietly.

“Don’t be, lets go meet the others.” I say kindly, I start leading her away before the tall one blocks my path. The others just watch and get closer, not too close but enough to show they want to trap us. This makes me take another aggravated breath but despite that I blink and ask, “Can you please move aside.”

He looks to his two instigators. They nod and the student looks down to me. “You her bro? Well not her real one, right?”

I really do not want to talk to this guy. I know he’s trying to push something. Satisfaction is the last thing I want give this dude but I can’t let Futaba get hurt. I swallow my pride and say, “Yeah, I’m her bro. We’re going meet some friends so please excuse us.”

“What if I don’t want to?” He jests.

I can feel my fingers clenching. The thoughts of cowardly actions from this morning quickly come through my mind. I can feel something coming from my throat, but something pulls on my sleeve. Futaba gently pulls and whispers, “Don’t.”

With that I remind myself this shouldn’t be about my pride. These are just jerks looking for a brief victory. Screw it, they can have it. I swallow my dignity and say, “Can you please move aside. If you don’t, I’ll just walk around.”

The man looks down. He does not move yet but examines every inch of my front. He keeps looking up and down, as if analyzing every detail. I’m growing impatient so I give a blank expression. Then change it to a smile. “Like what you see?” I ask.

He just huffs and points his finger to me, asking his friends, “This is the guy? Seriously? The one who caused so much trouble?” His friends give a shrug before looking back at me. “You that delinquent that moved here last year? The one people say is bad news?”

“I don’t pay attention to rumors. Sorry friend.” I respond.

“This guys a real smartass isn’t he?” He asks his friends. They appear to agree so he continues to unfortunately ramble on. “They told me all through my first year to watch out for this big bad guy that moved here. Kicked some adult’s ass and got tossed to Shujin.” He waves his hand in my face, trying to make a point. “But look at him! Why should I listen to them? Why fear this guy?”

“Probably because you’re a coward.” I snap.

His expression changes and some snickers come from his goons. Futaba gives a quick breath. The student retracts his hands and looks at me. He says, “You calling me a coward?”

I look up and my expression surely shows how annoyed I am. I respond, “Of course you all are, look at you. Three guys? Against one first year? Who in the hell would call that brave?” I step up closer.

He doesn’t retract but instead responds, “If you so bad how come I’m not on my ass yet?”

“Probably because this is the best thing that’s going to happen to you all week, maybe all month. You want this little victory, sure go ahead. Brag to everyone, I don’t care. I got more important things to do but to answer your question. Yeah, I am that delinquent. I’m that guy they told you all about.” I step back and finish me statement. “So again, please excuse me.”

The student stands there and stares at me for a moment. A small puff of air comes out of his mouth and he moves aside. He still has a slight grin on his face, showing he is still not completely impressed. I give him my thanks and I walked past with Futaba on my side. She is holding on to my sleeve hard, I make sure to walk slow enough for her. There's still an unsatisfied gut feeling inside me, but I push it aside. I just keep walking and I focus on what's ahead of me.

I don’t stop until I hear the student behind me say, “Hold up, I think the bitch forgot her drink.”

Before I can say anything, I hear a sudden yelp coming from my side. I turn around and see Futaba soaked with orange juice leaking all over her uniform. Laugher erupts from the group and something in me just snaps. My insecurities win and my demeanor breaks. I become furious and take off my glasses.

I start walking towards the coward and he notices me. He gets his fist up but I’m still coming. Before I reach 15 feet from him, someone grabs me and holds me in place. Preparing to strike I quickly stop when noticing that Ryuji was the one who grabbed me. Stopping my pursuit, I look at him. He says nothing but just shakes his head.

He brings me back to reality and in our silent conversation, I realize he is right. Even if it has been a year since I came to Shujin, that doesn’t mean I’m not on thin ice. Getting into a fight is one mistake that would be enough to end it all. If he weren’t here right now, all my hard work could have been for nothing.

He lets go of me gently. I stand there looking at him. My face producing a gloomy look but enough for him to know I appreciate the save. He nods his head and gives a small smile before whipping it off and turning around.

“Hey ASSHOLE!” He yells. It’s loud and suddenly everyone around the area who didn’t notice already is now in full attention. He walks up and gets right up to the tall guy’s face.

The student just jeers, “Back off, Sakamoto.” He gives Ryuji a slight push which quickly gives Skull an annoyed look. The bully continues, “You ain’t scaring no one with that weak sh-.”

The student is interrupted when Ryuji puts his hands on him. Pushing him upward causing him to get some air, the student is slammed down. Ryuji walks over him and stares daggers at him. Any sort of confidence on the tall student is gone. He looks around and notices everyone has seen him get taken on his ass. His friends don’t back him up but also don’t run. There’s a tense moment of staring between the two.

Ryuji breaks the silence. Looking at the ground and giving an irritated voice he says, “You want to look tough Masuda? I’ll make sure everyone is watching asshole. Just try that shit again!”

There is fury and fear coming from the student’s face, whose name is apparently Masuda. He knows now that if he does nothing, he’ll look like the weak one in front of everyone. Before he can do anything however, someone yells in the back, “Break it up! NOW!”

Everyone turns to an irritated Ms. Kawakami approaching. Ryuji steps away from the downed Masuda. She gives everyone a look including a worried glance at Futaba. Then changing her expression, returns to the three. “Masuda, get to our class now!”

“But I-.” He starts but is quickly cut off by the teacher.

“NOW! I’ll deal with you later but for now you better get there quickly before I make things worse!”

With an irritated look the boy concedes. He walks past us with his friends and heads in the direction of the school. When he leaves, Kawakami quickly comes over to Futaba. She examines Futaba’s clothes. Ryuji comes over to my side and ask her, “He’s your student now?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” She says still looking at Futaba. I glance over and Futaba is on the verge of tears but trying to stay strong. Her hair is a bit wet, and the orange juice has completely stained the whites of her clothes. The sight breaks my heart. She wipes juice off Futaba’s brow and turns to me. “I’m going to take her to my office to get cleaned up. I’ll do my best to make sure people don’t see her.” She declares.

“Thank you.” I say to her.

“You know, even if you’re not in my class anymore. You can’t get yourself in trouble.”

“I didn’t start this, I swear.” I respond to her calmly.

“I know.” She says back in an understanding tone. “You never do. But not everyone knows that about you.” Kawakami states and the message is clear. She then turns around and leads Futaba away. “Come on dear. Let us get you cleaned up.” She walks away but the guilt stays. Thousands of scenarios fill my head with ways I could have prevented this. Ryuji notices this and puts a hand on my shoulder.

“Come on man, nothing we can do now.” He says while guiding me away.

We arrive back on the roof with Morgana and Ann. Explaining the reason we are all late and why Futaba is absent. I look up from my phone and tell them about the text I just received.

“Sojiro is coming pick her up. She’s taking the rest of the day off.”

“Futaba…” Morgana says woefully. “What kind of jerk would do such a thing!?”

“Who the hell does this Masuda think he is?!” Ann joins in. She was fuming throughout the entire story.

“He’s a second year. Failed basketball player turned punk. Least that’s what the guys told me in practice.” Ryuji says back. He then slams his fist in his palm. “I wish Kawakami gave me 5 minutes with that asshole. I’d make him humble real quick.”

Morgana gives an impressed look to Skull, “It sounds like you embarrassed him though. Not to mention he’s in big trouble, right? Students are going to talk about him for awhile and not for the reason he wanted.”

Ann still livid adds to the conversation. “He deserves worse than humiliation in my opinion. People like him are sick, picking on others who can’t fight back. God it makes me so angry.”

Morgana gives another sad look and shares his feelings, “I just hope Oracle is alright. This won’t be good for her.” With that comment the guilt increases inside my stomach. I had not said a word since explaining, still thinking about what I could and should have done.

Before I can think more of it, Ryuji responds. “Futaba will be fine.”

Ann gives a curious look, “What do you mean?”

“She’s a strong girl. You count her out now and you’ll look like an idiot.”

“Ryuji…” Ann says now fixated on him.

“I mean it, we’ve gone through some shit. We all got hit pretty hard, but she had to go through something special. This isn’t going to bother her for long, I guarantee you soon she’ll be back to her old weird self. Talking about technology and all that nerd stuff.”  
Ryuji’s words sit with me and a feeling of pride starts to replace the guilt. A small smile forms around my face. He is right about her, this won’t be the end. Morgana who is also impressed makes sure Ryuji is aware. “Well said Skull.” He tells him.

Ann says nothing but looks at him. She gives him a smile that quickly makes Ryuji uncomfortable. He glances around hoping to find the answer to her gaze. An obvious answer does not appear, so he asks her. “What?”

She says nothing.

“What?!”

“Nothing.” She responds in a giggling voice while still smiling at him.

“Seriously is there something on my face. Why you giving me that creepy look?”

“CREEPY!?” Ann says offended. “UGH Sakamoto I swear you have NO CLUE!”

“I-I still don’t understand what you mean?!” He says in a squeaky voice.

I give a sad laugh which catches everyone attention. When I realize everyone is staring, I just share my smile. Trying my best to hide my worry.

“How are you doing Joker?” Morgana asks concerned. Probably with the most understanding of my dilemma.

“I’ll be fine.” I tell them.

“Hey, it’s cool to be pissed. You don’t gotta hide it with us.” Ryuji responds.

I take a deep breathe. There are a lot of things going through my head at the moment, though this is not the time I want to break out all my grievances to them. I give them a simple answer to suffice them.

“I just feel bad. I didn’t do anything to stop it.” The others listen in silence to my confession. “After everything we been through, I couldn’t save one person this time.”

A moment of silence pass before Takamaki breaks it. “I understand but you can’t save everyone, Akira. You shouldn’t hold that burden to yourself.” I look at her and she gives me a reality check. “We’re not Phantom Thieves anymore. We are just regular high school students now. We can’t save everyone.”

Ann’s words are true, but they sting. The others are silent as they dawn on the information. It should be apparent but to me it feels like the first time it really sank in. I’m not a Phantom Thief anymore, I can’t be Joker ever again. I am forever just Akira Kurusu.

“I know.” I tell her with a new weight manifesting in my heart.

The days ends and I take the train home by myself, not including Morgana in my bag. He remains silent, giving me time to think. Today was long, I wanted to go into my room and forget all about it but I couldn’t. My day was not done yet because I still had my date with Makoto later. We decided to meet a couple hours after school let out, but I decided to check in on LeBlanc first. I needed to drop stuff off anyway but now I have more motive.

Walking down the street I cannot help but think of Ann’s words. Nothing she said was wrong nor mean. It was a reminder from a truth that I uninstinctively was running from since those last days in the metaverse.

I cannot save everyone. I returned to that kid who stopped Shido and lost his life because of it.

I take a deep breath. Trying to get ahold of myself and stop the emotions from taking over. It does not matter if I cannot be Joker anymore. That does not mean I am completely powerless. Even if I could not stop today, I can still be there for Futaba. Give her all the support I can muster. I can give Makoto a good time tonight. I can continue to support my friends, build a better future for myself. I can still be a good person. THAT will never leave no matter what anyone says or does.

As I give myself an inner pep talk, I soon find myself outside LeBlanc. I open and walk inside.

As I enter, a familiar male voice calls out. “Welcome, Akira.” I look up and see across from Sojiro near the counter are Haru and Yusuke. 

Haru follows up with her own introduction. “Didn’t expect to see us I bet?”

I give them a smile, shocked to see them both a day early. Tomorrow is our Phantom Thieves monthly reunion. I walk in and begin to talk as Morgana pops his head out the bag. “Hey, no I didn’t expect this.” I explain.

Yusuke turns around on his chair, “When school was released, I found Haru outside waiting for me.”

She nods her head, “I decided to come home from college a day early. I was near Kosei when it almost time to get out, so I decided to give him a surprise visit.”

He then nods his head. “We talked for a bit and was originally going to walk with me home.”

Haru then gives him a stern look. “We were walking into Yusuke’s stomach continued to interrupt us. He seemed like was starving, so I decided to stop by and treat him to some of Boss’s curry.” Haru explains, sounding more cheerful at the end of the statement.

“Truly she’s guardian angel.” Yusuke compliments.

I enjoy my friends’ company but soon look over to Sojiro. He is enjoying their company as well but notices that I am looking at him for an answer. I ask, “How is she?”

He takes a breath, “She’s fine for now.” He rubs his eyes before continuing. “She’s hold up in her room. I’m giving her some space, but I’ll check on her soon.”

Yusuke’s expression suddenly changes, “What an awful incident. A despicable act from nothing but a horrendous person.”

I look at him curiously, “You know?”

Haru sighs and nods. “Sojiro filled us in. I’m worried about her.”

Sojiro appreciates the concern from us. He continues, “Well its good she has such good friends watching over her.” He looks over to me, “Thanks kid, for looking out.”

I decide to walk over. I think about my pep talk on the way here and try my best to help the situation with words. “I really wish I could have done more. Sorry, I won’t let it happen again.”

Sojiro raises his hand politely. “I know you did everything you could. Hell, you’ve done plenty in the past year for her. All you need to do is continue to be her friends. Do that and we’ll always be square.”

Yusuke turns to boss, “Perhaps when we’re done with our meal, we can go find Futaba. Checking up and possibly giving her some company as well.”

Haru nods, “Sure, I don’t mind. I should definitely come just to make sure she actually enjoys the company.”

“What do you mean?” Fox says a little defensive.

“Nothing.” She says in a smile.

“It doesn’t sound like nothing.” He says a little hurt.

Boss interrupts them, “I think that would be a good idea. Usually, I’d let her have her space but right now that doesn’t seem like a good idea long term. I think some friends are what she needs right now.” He looks over to me, “You’re heading out though, right?”

“I could cancel.”

“Nah.” Sojiro says. “You go on ahead. Enjoy your night.”

Yusuke looks over curiously, “Where are you headed?”

I realize quickly that I do not have a good alibi for this question. As I start to come up with an answer to avoid the truth, Haru weirdly comes in and says, “I bet its for one of those old jobs he used to have. Maybe an old contact is calling in a favor?”

“Yeah, exactly. I just need to drop off Mona and change” I respond with her. Yusuke seems satisfied with the answer and I excuse myself up to my room. As I’m putting things away, I soon hear footsteps coming up to my room. I turn around and see Haru coming. She enters my room and pulls out a stack of cash to hand to me.

I look down curiously, “What’s this?”

“Sojiro told me to give this to you. He says to enjoy your night.”

“How…” I say aloud then realize what he meant. It should not surprise me that he knows about Makoto. I had her over plenty of times. That old bastard probably put two and two together, now he’s just teasing me with charity.

I take the money from Haru and look at her curiously. She smiles in a sinister way and says, “It appears he knows about your date as well.”

That catches me by surprised. I stammer a bit and say, “Wait! How do you-.”

“When Makoto and I hung out during college, she may have let it slip.” She says smugly. Enjoying my embarrassment.

Embarrassment does fill my body. I just give a sigh and accept my fate. I look up to her. “We were planning on telling everyone soon.”

“Its ok.” She says waving me off. Haru then puts a finger over her lips. “Your secret is safe with me, Joker.” I severely hope that my face is not blushing right now. Especially with Haru and Morgana watching. I have an imagine I like to keep and that could ruin it forever.

Morgana pops up on the sofa. He gives me a snarky laugh and says, “Take care and don’t have too much fun Joker.” I give him a look of annoyance, but it doesn’t stay long. Quick thinking soon ends the cat’s teasing as I pick him up. “What-HEY!” He protests.

I hand the furball to Haru. “Can you watch him while I’m gone?”

“Of course.” She replies.

“Also, he really stinks. Could you give him a bath?” I ask.

“WAIT, what?! I don’t stink!” Morgana protest. He starts sniffing himself furiously.

Haru cradles him, “I’ll be sure to get under his ears as well.”

“Noir, hold up! You know he’s just joking right?” The cat continues to protest as I leave my room. I head downstairs and say bye to the others. 

“Stay out of trouble.” Sojiro says as I walk out.

“I’ll try my best.” I respond. The only honest answer I could give to that question.

An hour soon passes from LeBlanc and I find myself walking around the square, looking for Makoto. She text me a hint of her location with a landmark, and I continue to search. My heartbeat keeps rising, not from walking but from being nervous. It is strange, Makoto isn’t a stranger to making my heart race but there’s an uneasy feeling to meeting her now. Perhaps I am more anxious than usual? I tell myself I should forget my problems at least for now. I walk past the crowd and try breathing exercises to slow my heartbeat.

I had walked for a bit then decided to stand and observe the area. After doing a short scan, I spot her just a short way. It doesn’t take her long to spot me as well. She looks up to recognize me and soon a kind smile appears on her face. The smile does nothing to help the increasing rate of my heart, but I walk up. I shimmy around the crowd until I am right in front of her.

“Hi.” I say when I finally get close enough.  
“Hey.” She says back in almost a whisper. We stand there in the moment. Still smiling and waiting for the other to break the silence.

I pull out the money Sojiro lend me, “Want to grab a bite? Boss’s treat.”

“You’re offering a college student a free meal? Sounds wonderful.” Makoto says and we start walking together.

We walk close together and soon she slowly slips her arm around mine. She rests her head on my arm and I look down to her giggling. Her warm expression showing she’s happy to be here with me. As I walk and joke with her, I realize that the moments of feelings down, feeling powerless are gone. After weeks of hiding my uncertainties and the hardships of today, everything is ok now. The world could have thrown much more, and it would have all been worth it. Just to be here right now.

I love this woman.

The meal was fantastic, and the company was even better. I listen to her stories of college. I tell her about today and she gives support. We don’t let the events sour our time and instead enjoy the other’s company. Finishing our meal, I find myself walking her home. We had been traveling for a bit and I spot a bench to rest. I offer her the idea and she nods.

As we sit together with the sun is starting to set, she leans her head on my shoulder. A wrap my arms around her and she comes closer. We enjoy the moment before she takes a deep breath. Makoto looks up to me, “Big day tomorrow huh? How do you think the others will react?”

I give her an uncertain look and she takes an even bigger breath. The others will likely blow up when they learn about us. I decide to lighten the mood and point across the bike lane. “What if Ryuji were to just walk around that corner right now and see us?”

“GOD, don’t jinx us please.” She barks. I chuckle to myself while she continues, “Its already awkward enough with…”

“Haru?” I finish for her. Telling Makoto earlier what she told me at LeBlanc.

Makoto closes her eyes, “Sorry…” she says embarrassed.

“It’s ok.” I reassure her. “It wasn’t Haru I really was worried about.” I confess.

She shutters at the thought. We sit together and let the time pass. A part of me wishes I could stay longer, going back home would mean back to the problems I would soon face. Futaba still lingered in my mind. There is also the dreams ready to mock me tonight. They never say anything, but my imagination creates a lot of opportunities for me to feel uneasy.

“Something wrong?” Makoto asks. I was probably making a face.

“No, I’m fine.” I tell her quickly changing my expression.

She leaves my shoulder and replaces her look with a stern one. “Don’t keep secrets from me.” The façade takes a hit and I give her a shy smile. Her expression goes to a more compassionate one, “Talk to me. I know you have a lot on your mind.”

I take deep breath and accept being caught. “I’m just a bit stressed is all. I also haven’t been sleeping well either.”

“Trouble sleeping? Any reason why?” She asks.

“I…” I ponder whether to tell her. I glance at her face and it hits me like a truck. I don’t want to lie to her directly. Especially when I can see her clearly worried. I know I’d feel the same way, so I surrender the information. “I’ve just recently had recuring dreams.” I explain.

She listens closely as I keep going. I explain the premise of all the dreams and how they make me feel.

“Today was hard too. It felt like today proved everything that they were implying.” 

She holds my face to look at her. I see her clearly as she states, “Akira…you’re not a coward.”

“I know.” I tell her, probably not convincingly.

She gives a sad smile and starts slowing rubbing my cheeks in her hand. She huffs for a bit before continuing. “You try so hard. You try so hard to make everyone around you happy. Its something I really love about you.” She pauses before continuing. “You need to put effort to make yourself happy though.”

“I am happy.” I say, putting my hand over hers.

“Yes, you are.” Makoto agrees. “But you’re also sad. Uncertain and it worries you. I can see it.”

I don’t say anything. I continue to keep a smile on my face. She examines my face in her hands, different emotions forming around her face. Makoto gives me a worried glance before smiling.

She says, “I think you’re also right. About trying to talk more about it rather than bottling it all down.” Makoto looks at my face annoyed. “Keeping that sassy face as a mask.”

“You know you love it.” I tease.

“I hate it soooo much.” She says and starts smiling. It makes me smile back.

I know she is right. I was not trying to escape from her point with that joke, instead showing appreciation by being myself. I take a deep breath and lean in. She closes her eyes, and our lips meet for a kiss. The moment is pure and wonderful. A nice way to end my day.

After returning Makoto home, I head back to LeBlanc for the rest of the day. Eventually the time for sleep comes as well. As I drift off, I worry about the dreams. Expecting a horrible entity to make me feel worse about my actions. However, tonight wasn’t the case.

The next day comes and I wake up. Well rested, I give a long stretch which wakes Morgana.

“How’d you sleep?” He asks.

“Awesome.” I respond.

He lights up. “No bad dreams?”

“None.” I say happy. It is a relieve and makes Makoto’s words from last night feel more powerful. I feel I should never doubt her again.

The day continues until Futaba and I are walking along to school. We are nearing Shujin, and I make it my mission settle any uncertainties within her before entering. Listening to every word she says with interest.

“It was a bit of a shock at first when they came to my room.” Futaba states.

“Did it make you uncomfortable?” I ask.

She nods, giving me an honest answer. “It was a bit awkward but then again most of you already have seen me worse.”

“Sorry if it was sudden. I think they just wanted to show you that we’re here for you.”

“Oh stop.” She interrupts me. “You don’t gotta get all mushy bro. I know that kills you.”

“I don’t mind getting mushy.” I say, feeling a bit weird.

I’ll be fine, honest.” She gives me a grin. I look at her and smile back. Ryuji was right about yesterday. This girl is tough, and she’ll be fine.

When get right outside Shujin’s entrance when Ann appears and stops us. She gives a cheery voice and says, “Hey. How are you guys doing?”

“Good.” Futaba speaks up, “I mean school always sucks but you gotta go through with it anyway.”

“Good spirit!” Ann pumps her fist. She wraps her arms around Futaba as we walk up the steps to school. She continues to talk to her. “By the way. I got you a present.”

This peeks Futaba’s interest. “Oh? What is it?!”

“Nope, you’re going to wait til lunch.” Ann says civilly.

“Awww. But it would really pick my mood up Ann…” Futaba says, giving her best puppy dog eyes.

“Haha, nope!” Ann says not falling for it. “You’re going to have to wait my friend. It’s not much but-.”

Ann’s words are interrupted by a loud thud behind us. The impact makes us jump. Soon we a girl scream in terror and others start yelling. We turn around and look. The sight makes my breath leave. Commotion starts to pile around and make a scene. Everyone starts to surround and look at the source of the thud. Ann gives a gasp and Futaba starts to whimper.

We look down and see sprawled out, a body. Blood now pouring around the head area. A wound likely caused from the impact of the fall. I look over to the face and my eyes widen. There I see the student from yesterday. Now with open eyes stuck in a cold stare, not adjusting. No movement coming from him, I stare at the fallen body of Masuda. Futaba’s bully. 


	3. Creeping Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Akira starts to learn more about the incident with Masuda, he must come to terms with a threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided from this chapter that this will be my regular chapter size. Again, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy.

“ **Meet me at my desk.”** Kawakami’s text read.

Walking down the hall, the atmosphere very noticeably took a hit. Three hours passed since the incident. I cannot speak for how the other students deal with their grief, but it feels as if they are afraid to be loud. Almost as if scared to be insensitive with their usual actions. Instead, they just walk silently and with their gaze down. The silence is eerie even to one that used to travel through nightmares.

School officials had forced us quickly inside the school, clearing the crowd around Masuda’s body. Paramedics took him away, but no one knew anything about what happened. The only information known was the ones who saw it happen. Somehow, he fell from the roof to the front of the school.

I arrive inside the lounge to find Kawakami sitting at her desk. I walk up to her while she examines her personal phone. Reading information on what appears to be group chat. She notices me approach and puts it away. Getting up, she beckons me to follow. “Somewhere quiet first. Follow me.” She says, heading out the office.

I follow her from behind for a bit. No one appears to give us a weird look, most likely too preoccupied with their own thoughts. Soon we both enter a private office, the same one that once belonged to Kamoshida. The wrong type of nostalgia hits me as I look around at the now empty desk.

Once we are inside and the coast is clear, she turns around. She looks around and says, “Sorry to bring you here, but I know it will be quiet.” She looks back to me. “Everyone tries to avoid this place. Almost as if it’s a bad omen.”

“It’s ok.” I tell her.

Kawakami leans onto the empty desk, arms crossed. She looks at me and I see her tired eyes. I can’t imagine what this feeling is for a teacher, but I know it cannot be easy. She then says, “Do you know anything and mean ANYTHING… about what happened?”

“No.” I answer. She continues to stare. I take that as a hint that she wants more. “Honestly, I have no idea what happened. We were walking up the school steps and he fell behind us. That’s all I know.”

She takes a deep breath. Closing her eyes and just leaning. Her mind pondering something. She eventually opens them and nods her head. “Ok…” She states. Not giving any indication that she didn’t believe me.

“Do you know what happened?” I ask. I can feel Morgana squirming behind my bag. Adjusting himself better to hear.

“Before I say anything.” She explains. “I need you to promise not to tell- well…” She pauses. Knowing that I would want to provide this info to my colleagues. She then continues, “Promise me this information won’t be spread around school. Do you understand?”

“I promise.”

Kawakami gets up from leaning, her arms still crossed. She takes a few moments while pacing around the room. Eventually, she stops. “We interviewed his friends. Apparently, Masuda decided he wanted to go to the roof this morning.”

“Why?” I ask.

“They don’t know, apparently they found it rather weird too.” She explains. The roof was also our spot, I wondered the possibilities before she started to continue. “When the three went up, nothing appeared wrong at first. They just chatted like every day. But they did mention that Masuda was staring down at the school entrance the entire time.”

She takes a deep pause and glances at me.

“Eventually, without explanation Masuda just climbed over the fence… then jumped.”

The info hits me like a punch on the chin. These few hours wondering had not led to that possibility. “It was a suicide attempt?” I say in astonishment. 

“I’m afraid not an attempt… he died before EMTs got here.”

My face sulks, I remember seeing his body lying there. When I was looking at him, I already feared the worst. As my emotions become conflicted, I give her a silent but understanding, “Damn.”

I look at her, but all she stares at is the empty desk. Giving an empty gaze, Kawakami looks so tired. As I look at the desk myself, memories from Kamoshida’s wrath makes me realize a connection with today’s events.

“How are you?” I ask.

She continues to stare, “He was still my student. No matter how I felt about his behavior, a part of me still feels a sense of responsibility.”

“Ms. Kawakami… you can’t.”

“This isn’t like last time.” She quickly states. Referring to Takase, her late student. Kawakami looks tensely at me, “I will not harm myself again, that is a promise. It is something I am forever grateful to you for. Which is why I am bringing this information to you before it goes live to the public.” 

I nod my head. “I figured there was more to this conversation than just relaying information.”

Her eyes change from tense to gloomy for a moment. She avoids my eyes for a moment before returning to them. She says, “This is the second time in two years that a student jumped from the roof. We were incredibly lucky with Shiho but that won’t matter to the press... This scandal will go viral, but that level of gossip could harm more than just the school.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. Worried for the answer she gives.

“Kurusu… there are a lot of lines that can be connected with this incident and events from last year. If those lines are drawn, your name is going to come up a lot. You had a confrontation yesterday with him. Once they learn that, soon your past will be brought up. Then things will get complicated.”

My eyes widen, I quickly become defensive due to memories of dealing with a delinquent bias. “But I’ve been cleared! Of everything, there’s no reason for them to bring it up.” I whisper.

“Dear… they won’t care. I’m sorry, but that’s a sad reality. If your name comes up once, it’s going to hurt your reputation. Possibly close a lot of doors in your future. The heartbreaking truth of our society is that most will rather avoid you then give you a chance to prove the rumors wrong. Rehabilitation is not important to them.”

Kawakami point does not sit well with me. After all this time, I thought it was over. A part of me always knew that somewhere down the line, someone would bring it up somehow. But I never thought it would be so soon, and now with greater consequences. I look at her, “Well… what do I do?”

“Most likely? You won’t have to do anything.” She responds.

“What do you mean?”

She looks down for a moment, appearing to contemplate her next words. Kawakami then looks up. “The only eyewitnesses were Masuda’s two friends. There will be an investigation but considering all the possibilities, this will likely just be called a suicide. That is unless school officials like me can give investigators any information that could change that verdict. That includes names, names of people possibly associated with what happened.” Kawakami gives me a real hard look.

I get quickly what she is implying. A part of me feels offended but ultimately decides to better understand what she wants.

“Ms. Kawakami… do you think that I-.”

“Stop.” She quickly interrupts me. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I know you’re a good person, which is why I’m willing to cover for you. I promise your name will not come up in this investigation, but I need something from you first. “My guard goes up and she can clearly see it.

Kawakami could save me here, a thank you for last year’s events. I would never say she owed me anything, but I did gain her favor for it. So, I can understand why she might be conflicted about her duties and helping me. Still, the question does bother me. “What?” I ask her.

I try to read the conflicting emotions in her face, but there is no time before she answers. “I don’t know what went on in Masuda’s life, so I won’t pretend to know what he was going through. But from what I’ve seen, his actions don’t make sense. Also, I do not know how the Phantom Thieves do their job, much less how things could go wrong. So… all I need from you is a simple yes or no.”

She pauses for merely a moment. “Did you have ANYTHING to do with what happened to him?”

“No.” I say almost instinctively.

She examines me for a minute then nods her head. “Ok…” She whispers. “Then I promise you’ll be safe.”

“Thank you.” I say giving her gratitude, she acknowledges it. Soon I leave the office and down the hall with myself and Morgana in the bag. While walking, I ponder her question. It did not make me feel good knowing she had to confirm I was innocent, but I also understood somewhat why she did ask. Better to get hurt receiving an honest answer than none with only your mind to come up with what ifs.

As I’m walking down the hall, still full of questions without answers. My mind decides to create some what ifs. I ask the biggest one.

_“Of course, I had nothing to do with this… right?”_

The rest of the day flies by, trying to pay attention in class feels impossible. There’s a point where I even feel my teacher give up, now just going through the motion. The final bell rings and everyone packs up in silence. As I’m packing, I see Ryuji head over my way. He has a worried look on his face.

“Yo.” I say to him.

“Hey bro… why don’t we all walk to LeBlanc together today? We were all meeting there later anyway so…” He explains.

“Right.” I respond. “The team is coming to LeBlanc later…Oh god.” I say drained. What was once a special occasion I usually look forward to, now is replaced with dreaded anxiety. Surely, we would have to explain to them what happened today.

Ryuji notices my distaste, “You good?” He asks.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. It’s the other two I’m worried about. Ann and Futaba saw it too.” I tell him.

“I’m worried about them, but I’m also worried for you too man. That shit can’t be easy.”

“I can handle it.” I tell him. I get my stuff up before Morgana very gently pops his mouth out.

The cat whispers, “Kawakami gave us some info.”

“What’d she say?”

I put my hand up, “I’ll tell you later. For now, let’s get everyone and go.” He does not push the topic and eventually we gather everyone.

Me, Morgana, Ryuji, Futaba, and Ann leave together. Not much is said up until the train. We ride the train together and during the ride I decide to fill them in. Despite being in a public train car, I stay covert and lower my voice. 

Ann lowers her head hearing the news, “I can’t believe it… honestly I don’t know what to say.”

She starts to bite down on her thumb’s nail. Her expression clearly showing how troubled she is. Ryuji sits close to her. He leans in, “Hey, you ok?”

She looks up to him. Giving a small smile over her furrowed brows. “Am I that obvious?” She jokes.

“Lady Ann…” Morgana sighs.

The emotions going through Ann must be tense, I think to myself. She not only saw someone jump off the roof but she’s probably remembering her friend’s attempt last year, Shiho.

“I uh…” Ryuji stammers, trying to accumulate the correct wording. “I just want you know, we got you in case you need somethin.”

Ann gives a small sniff. “I know, thanks guys.” She looks past Ryuji and stares at Futaba, who is sitting farther away from the group. Her legs balled up, staring at the floor.

We all look over to see our once navigator sit with her thoughts. A part of me wants to walk over and say something to her. Before I do however, Ryuji brings us back. “I can’t believe Ms. Kawakami asked you that though.”

I snap back to reality, looking over at him. “What?” I ask.

“She asked if we had something to do with Masuda, right?” I nod my head to Ryuji. “Well, what the hell? That’s never been what we’re about!”

“Don’t be too hard on her Ryuji.” Ann says looking back at us. “Everyone’s a bit shaken right now.”

“Yeah but… still. If we were gonna do something to him, we just would’ve changed his heart and stuff.”

I pop in, “We can’t do that anyway, right?” I ask Morgana.

“Nope.” He confirms. “Every phone in the Phantom’s Thieves inventory no longer has the app that lets you travel to the metaverse. I also cannot travel there myself anymore. It’s completely gone.”

Ryuji extends his hand. “See! Completely in the clear, we’d never do that shit.”

“Well…” I say, before realizing I didn’t mean to. Everyone looks at me for a moment.

Ann asks looking curiously at me, “What?”

I clear my throat, “Sorry, its nothing. That just slipped out.”

“Nah man. Come on, tell us what you mean.” Ryuji asks.

I curse inside my head. Making such a stupid mistake, I decide to be honest with them. “Well… when we first started out, there was a point where we didn’t know if what we were doing would harm Kamoshida.” This brings everyone’s attention to me. “We even agreed that if he died, that would be ok.”

Ryuji’s brow tilts a bit. He retorts, “Well that was different though. We didn’t know what we were doing and also-.” He leans closer to me. “Kamoshida was a god damn criminal. Not just some bully.”

I nod my head, “I know… you’re right, I’m sorry.” I say a little embarrassed. I think to myself how dumb that statement I made was.

Ann snaps everyone to her. “Look, I get where he’s coming from.”

“But we wouldn’t-.” Ryuji starts to argue but Ann cuts him off.

“Yes, we would’ve.” She says firmly. Ryuji decides to keep quiet, now all attention is on Ann. “When it was the four of us, tension was highest. We were exploring something new and dangerous. We were on a warpath with someone we all hated with a passion… So, I’d be a liar to say Joker doesn’t have a point. If it was the ONLY choice, I would’ve killed him.”

She looks over to Ryuji. “If it was the only way to stop him, to get revenge for yourself, for me, for everyone he hurt. Would you do it too?”

“I-…” Ryuji stammers. He doesn’t look at her but still says, “That’s a freakin scary question, Ann.”

Takamaki’s eyes widen, she suddenly looks guilty for what she said. There is an awkward silence between the group, only being interrupted by a few whispers further down the car and the sound of the subway.

She grabs one of Ryuji’s hands. Holding it her palm, this gets Ryuji’s attention back to her. She lowers her head, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that. That was wrong.”

Ryuji looks down at the hand she’s holding, he then gives a slight glace to me and Morgana before going back to Ann, “I uh… It’s cool.”

I interrupt them, “Guys I’m sorry, this is my fault. I shouldn’t have said something so foolish.”

Ann turns towards me, “Akira, it’s not that-.”

“No. What we went through was tough. But what I said was out of line, none of us would choose death if there was an alternative. That first palace was frightening, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I’m not afraid to admit I was afraid. But we did make it… together. Not only that, but we also made it without losing a part of ourselves in the process. We ultimately came out stronger.” I tell them.

I curse myself for making them worry. What kind of leader would push such a question on them at a time like this, I needed to be better. I need to make this right and help them through this.

Morgana paws my side. “Well said, Joker.” 

Ann looks at me and nods her head, a kind smile appears on her. “Yeah… we did come out stronger, didn’t we?” She looks over to Ryuji. “Isn’t that right Ryu-Ryuji?”  
Looking over, I see Ryuji still looking down. looking at Ann’s hands over his own. Red starts to appear on his cheeks. He looks up, noticing we are all gazing at him.

“I uh… so-sorry what’d you s-say? I um, wasn’t listening.” Ryuji says embarrassed.

I give him a sideways glance. “Dude, really?”

Ann lets go of his hand. He looks sad at first but then a smile creeps back when Ann again starts to extend her hand toward him. The smile ends quickly when the hand she extended flicks him on the forehead.

“OW!” He complains.

“He said you’re a good person, moron.” Ann says back.

“Then why am I getting punished?!”

Morgana lets out a sly chuckle before looking over him to Futaba. She’s still sitting by herself, away from other passengers as well. He gets up on his fours and starts to walk towards her. Usually, a cat walking around on a car would be a problem, but the car is pretty much empty. Only seating a few others far enough away to be comfortable.

Morgana plops next to Futaba. This shocks her at first, but she relaxes after noticing Morgana. The cat then starts to rub her head on her side. I watch from my seat as Mona gives this act of comfort. Futaba looks around for a moment before slowly letting out a small smile. She starts to scratch the side of the cat’s head. I enjoy the sight from where I sit, also listening to Ann and Ryuji bicker.

I blink around and look around at the empty train car. A thought soon emerges as I look around. The thought being that yes, this car is very empty. Emptier than is should be. I look around at the remaining passengers. There is a small family of three. A mother and two children around eight. On the other side, there is an old man who appears to be sleeping. Then I spot the last passenger. About 7 seats away from me, a blue hooded figure. Build is hard to see but not bigger than the average person. I cannot see their face due to them looking directly ahead while I watch from their side. The person appears to have hands inside their pocket and one foot is tapping on the floor. The rhythm matching the noise from the outside of the train.

I look at this hooded person for a long time. Not paying attention to my friends around me, the figure does not move their head. They continue to tap and not move. Making it impossible to see their face.

An uneasy feeling creeps inside me. I get a feeling this person is focusing.

With my mouth, I give a small and silent, “Ahem.”

The hooded figure’s foot stops.

Sudden shock rushes through my veins as my theory was confirmed. This person was focusing on us. I turn around to grab the others but when I do, they’re gone. My friends and the family are gone. I look over and the hooded and old man are gone too. Leaving me alone in the car.

I look around the car panicking before I notice something in my peripheral, directly in front of me. I look to the front slowly. There I see a being, draped in darkness and giving an unbelievable aura. My body goes into shock and I cannot move.

This is the same being that has haunted my dreams.

I struggle to move but cannot. My arms and legs trapped to my side. I can feel the veins on the side of my head throb. My eyes focusing a thousand times, trying to get a clear view of this shape of darkness.

Suddenly I hear a laugh. The voice is unrecognizable. As if modified like in a video editor.

The being speaks to me, “Afraid? Doubting yourself? Doubting your friends...?”

The being gives another chuckle as I struggle. It continues, “Good… let that doubt stay in your mind. Maybe then, you’ll be able to stop me.”

I blink and suddenly the noise of the train comes back. I take a few deep breaths before Ryuji puts his hand on me. He looks over, concerned. “DUDE! You good?!” He asks.

I look over to where the hooded figure was. No one is there, nor is there a being in front of me.

Ann snaps her fingers in my face. “Hey, Akira! What’s wrong?! Why are you out of breath?

“I…” I start to mumble. “I don’t know. Somethings wrong with me…”


End file.
